Where We Eat: The Kerfield Arms

A good pub is a beautiful thing. Somewhere with great beer and a friendly welcome that always makes you stay longer than you’d planned.

If there’s seriously good food as well, then that’s fine by us. But it’s a tricky balance to strike. Too foodie, and the ineffable pub-ishness gets lost. The quiet attraction of slipping in for a pint or two fades, and the drinkers are outnumbered by the diners.

The Blythe Hill Tavern is a great pub.  Excellent Guinness, a friendly welcome… and no food to speak of. But a pub salad can be a fine thing!

Joyce is a great pub too. Excellent beer, always friendly, and crucially just five minutes from home!

Which brings us to The Kerfield Arms in Camberwell, a new pub from the team behind The Baring in Islington.

We visited the Baring just before we opened Wilson’s and admired their use of old pub tables and dark green banquettes to create a room which treads the line between scrubbed up boozer and St John style restaurant vibes, and happily the Kerfield treads pretty much the same line.

The food at The Kerfield was absolutely outstanding.  Squid and lardo skewers were a particular highlight, along with crispy pig cheek served in a warm tartar sauce, laced with smoked eel.

Is it really a pub?  Some people will say no, and to be fair, it does lean heavily towards the restaurant end of the spectrum. But if you’re after something a bit more pub-like, The Grove is right next door and Stormbird is just a couple of minutes away so you’ve got options!

However, if what you want is some seriously good cooking in a pub-ish room with great beer on tap then The Kerfield is definitely worth a visit!